used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading Life caught him up without warning--that complex fascinating life of which he had long been a spectator--and swept him into swift deep currents.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading |THE pleasant days of quiet reading and whimsical reflection were over for the Worm, poor devil!
adopted in order to deceive
From this reading The trees had not yet assumed the faded, dispirited gray-green of midsummer.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading He was to be a mere spectator no longer.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading Life caught him up without warning--that complex fascinating life of which he had long been a spectator--and swept him into swift deep currents.
inflected form of “catch” — discover or come upon accidentally, suddenly, or unexpectedly; catch somebody doing something or in a certain state
From this reading Life caught him up without warning--that complex fascinating life of which he had long been a spectator--and swept him into swift deep currents.
complexnounUS /ˈkɑːmpleks/
a conceptual whole made up of complicated and related parts
From this reading Life caught him up without warning--that complex fascinating life of which he had long been a spectator--and swept him into swift deep currents.
currentsnounUS /ˈkɜːrənts/
plural of “current” — a flow of electricity through a conductor
From this reading Life caught him up without warning--that complex fascinating life of which he had long been a spectator--and swept him into swift deep currents.
the time during which someone's life continues
From this reading |THE pleasant days of quiet reading and whimsical reflection were over for the Worm, poor devil!
relatively deep or strong; affecting one deeply
From this reading Life caught him up without warning--that complex fascinating life of which he had long been a spectator--and swept him into swift deep currents.
(Judeo-Christian and Islamic religions) chief spirit of evil and adversary of God; tempter of mankind; master of Hell
From this reading |THE pleasant days of quiet reading and whimsical reflection were over for the Worm, poor devil!
dispiritedadjectiveUS /dɪˈspɪrətɪd/
marked by low spirits; showing no enthusiasm
From this reading The trees had not yet assumed the faded, dispirited gray-green of midsummer.
fadedadjectiveUS /ˈfeɪdəd/
having lost freshness or brilliance of color
From this reading The trees had not yet assumed the faded, dispirited gray-green of midsummer.
fascinatingadjectiveUS /ˈfæsəneɪtɪŋ/
capable of arousing and holding the attention
From this reading Life caught him up without warning--that complex fascinating life of which he had long been a spectator--and swept him into swift deep currents.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading |THE pleasant days of quiet reading and whimsical reflection were over for the Worm, poor devil!
glowedverbUS /ɡloʊd/
past form of “glow” — emit a steady even light without flames
From this reading Washington Square glowed with June.
gray-greenadjective
of green tinged with grey
From this reading The trees had not yet assumed the faded, dispirited gray-green of midsummer.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading Life caught him up without warning--that complex fascinating life of which he had long been a spectator--and swept him into swift deep currents.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Life caught him up without warning--that complex fascinating life of which he had long been a spectator--and swept him into swift deep currents.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading Life caught him up without warning--that complex fascinating life of which he had long been a spectator--and swept him into swift deep currents.
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/
moving to the inside of something
From this reading Life caught him up without warning--that complex fascinating life of which he had long been a spectator--and swept him into swift deep currents.
the month following May and preceding July
From this reading Washington Square glowed with June.
a characteristic state or mode of living
From this reading Life caught him up without warning--that complex fascinating life of which he had long been a spectator--and swept him into swift deep currents.
primarily temporal sense; being or indicating a relatively great or greater than average duration or passage of time or a duration as specified
From this reading Life caught him up without warning--that complex fascinating life of which he had long been a spectator--and swept him into swift deep currents.
for more time
From this reading He was to be a mere spectator no longer.
being nothing more than specified
From this reading He was to be a mere spectator no longer.
midsummernounUS /ˈmɪdˈsʌmər/
June 21, when the sun is at its northernmost point
From this reading The trees had not yet assumed the faded, dispirited gray-green of midsummer.
not any; not one
From this reading He was to be a mere spectator no longer.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading The trees had not yet assumed the faded, dispirited gray-green of midsummer.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading |THE pleasant days of quiet reading and whimsical reflection were over for the Worm, poor devil!
overprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/
above and across; more than
From this reading |THE pleasant days of quiet reading and whimsical reflection were over for the Worm, poor devil!
affording pleasure; being in harmony with your taste or likings
From this reading |THE pleasant days of quiet reading and whimsical reflection were over for the Worm, poor devil!
deserving or inciting pity
From this reading |THE pleasant days of quiet reading and whimsical reflection were over for the Worm, poor devil!
quietadjectiveUS /ˈkwaɪət/
characterized by an absence or near absence of agitation or activity
From this reading |THE pleasant days of quiet reading and whimsical reflection were over for the Worm, poor devil!
the cognitive process of understanding a written linguistic message
From this reading |THE pleasant days of quiet reading and whimsical reflection were over for the Worm, poor devil!
a calm, lengthy, intent consideration
From this reading |THE pleasant days of quiet reading and whimsical reflection were over for the Worm, poor devil!
spectatornounUS /ˈspekteɪtər/
a close observer; someone who looks at something (such as an exhibition of some kind)
From this reading Life caught him up without warning--that complex fascinating life of which he had long been a spectator--and swept him into swift deep currents.
make square
From this reading Washington Square glowed with June.
possessing sweep
From this reading Life caught him up without warning--that complex fascinating life of which he had long been a spectator--and swept him into swift deep currents.
moving very fast
From this reading Life caught him up without warning--that complex fascinating life of which he had long been a spectator--and swept him into swift deep currents.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading Life caught him up without warning--that complex fascinating life of which he had long been a spectator--and swept him into swift deep currents.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading |THE pleasant days of quiet reading and whimsical reflection were over for the Worm, poor devil!
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading He was to be a mere spectator no longer.
plural of “tree” — a tall perennial woody plant having a main trunk and branches forming a distinct elevated crown; includes both gymnosperms and angiosperms
From this reading The trees had not yet assumed the faded, dispirited gray-green of midsummer.
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading Life caught him up without warning--that complex fascinating life of which he had long been a spectator--and swept him into swift deep currents.
a message informing of danger
From this reading Life caught him up without warning--that complex fascinating life of which he had long been a spectator--and swept him into swift deep currents.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading He was to be a mere spectator no longer.
the capital of the United States in the District of Columbia and a tourist mecca; George Washington commissioned Charles L'Enfant to lay out the city in 1791
From this reading Washington Square glowed with June.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading |THE pleasant days of quiet reading and whimsical reflection were over for the Worm, poor devil!
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading Life caught him up without warning--that complex fascinating life of which he had long been a spectator--and swept him into swift deep currents.
whimsicaladjectiveUS /ˈwɪmzɪkəl/
determined by chance or impulse or whim rather than by necessity or reason
From this reading |THE pleasant days of quiet reading and whimsical reflection were over for the Worm, poor devil!
in the company of; together with
From this reading Washington Square glowed with June.
not having, not using, or not accompanied by
From this reading Life caught him up without warning--that complex fascinating life of which he had long been a spectator--and swept him into swift deep currents.
WormnounUS /wɜːrm/
any of numerous relatively small elongated soft-bodied animals especially of the phyla Annelida and Chaetognatha and Nematoda and Nemertea and Platyhelminthes; also many insect larvae
From this reading |THE pleasant days of quiet reading and whimsical reflection were over for the Worm, poor devil!
but in spite of that
From this reading The trees had not yet assumed the faded, dispirited gray-green of midsummer.
